


Stay

by BlueEyedAngel0614



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Human Catra (She-Ra), Jock Adora (She-Ra)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25238746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueEyedAngel0614/pseuds/BlueEyedAngel0614
Summary: Adora had everything she ever wanted. She got into the college of her dreams, is a sports superstar, has an amazing group of friends, and is incredibly popular to boot. But her life wasn't always this perfect, in fact it was quite the opposite. Years ago she had left her dark past, but she also left someone with it. Now what happens when that past finally catches up to her, and can she save the one she left behind from their own darkness?Catra's life sucked but she wouldn't let anyone know it. Hiding her emotional scars of being abandoned behind a mask of anger and violence, she climbed her way up the Horde hierarchy, thinking it would keep her safe. After running into her old partner in crime at a bar she is forced to face her complicated emotions. Will she go back to the Horde? Or will she stay?
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 64





	1. Hey Adora

_"Come with me, please!" Adora begged, tears stinging her eyes._

_"Why? Why would you want to leave? We have everything we need here."_

_"We are prisoners here!" Her fingers traced new scars on the arm she desperately grasped. "We could be free. Don't you want that?"_

_"She'll never let us be free, Adora, you know that. And she'll have my head if I let you walk out of here."_

\-------------------------------------★★★------------------------------------- 

"Would you get out of bed?! You're gonna miss class!"

Adora groaned as her roommate, Glimmer, grabbed her by the ankle and tugged. Her plan was to drag the built blond out of her raised bed but, in reality, she just sort of dangled from her ankle like an odd piece of jewelry. 

She fell to the floor with a yelp and rubbed her, now sore, backside. "How are you so stubborn?!"

"Talent," Adora yawned as she finally sat up, the last remnants of her dream fading. She glanced at her alarm clock and grumbled a few incoherent curses as she climbed down and began getting dressed. "Aren't you late for breakfast with Bow?"

"No, _we're_ late to breakfast with Bow," Glimmer corrected as she tossed Adora her jacket. "You promised you would go today."

"Yeah but that was before Coach called an emergency practice last night and I didn't get back until like one in the morning."

"Why did she call such a late practice?"

"It's game week," she shrugged as she ushered Glimmer out the door, finally awake, and passed out a few high fives down the dorm hall. "We have a big game against Krytis this weekend and Coach doesn't want us to break our winning streak."

"Just don't wear yourself out Adora," Glimmer's voice was coated in concern as they exited the dorm and into the crisp morning air. "You practice harder than anyone else on your team and I get that you're captain but, like, you deserve a break too."

"Did someone say party?" The girls smiled as arms slung themselves over their shoulders and Bow's smiling face came into their peripheral vision.

"No," Glimmer playfully shoved him, "I was just telling Adora that she should take a break."

"I don't need a break!" She groaned. "I need to stay focused so I can make sure we win this Saturday."

"Yeah but it's Tuesday," Bow's voice started to raise in pitch, as it usually did when he was about to make a suggestion, "so you still have a few days to get focused. Plus you don't wanna burn yourself out or you'll just end up tired. Remember last year when you stayed up for days, training to beat Scorpia for that captain spot?"

"What are you talking about? I got captain Bow!"

"You got co-captain," he corrected. "You were so tired from all your training that you and Scorpia ended up in a tie for the spot."

"I hope you have a point with this."

"Look, I'm just saying none of us have morning classes tomorrow and it would be nice to go out and have a good time? I hear The Crimson Waste has a deal on shots tonight."

"You just want to show everyone up in darts," Glimmer teased but still gave in to the idea, "but he does have a point Adora. C'mon! One night won't hurt you."

Adora glanced at her best friends pleading face and raised her hands in surrender. "Alright! Alright! Fine. We can go tonight. But! We aren't staying out all night. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and I would like to catch up on it." 

She was immediately engulfed in a hug from both of them, which led to loud laughter that rang through the campus as they walked to their favorite breakfast joint, choosing to eat outside.

"So if you win your game this weekend do you wanna celebrate at the clubhouse?" Glimmer asked, mischief coating her voice.

"And by clubhouse you mean the house your mom bought for vacations right?" Bow teased over his cup.

She smacked him. "She doesn't use it anymore! She bought it years ago and we've been there for vacation _once_! Why would she buy a house so close to campus anyway? Doesn't she see enough of this place?"

"Maybe she wanted a house closer to work or something," Adora spoke through a mouthful of food and Glimmer kicked her under the table. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full!"

"Remember when you told us to let you know when you start to sound like your mother?" Bow tentatively asked.

"Because you just did," Adora poked her in the side. "You even did that thing she does when she gets mad and her hands lock to her sides." 

Glimmer huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Whatever! We need to finish eating or we'll be late to class."

After breakfast they went their separate ways. Since they all had separate majors, their classes were located in different areas on campus. Glimmer made her way to the giant physics building while Bow veered off towards his engineering lab and Adora barely slid into her general studies calculus class before she would have been considered late. 

She watched her teacher write their agenda on the board and with every word she wrote, Adora could feel her eyelids getting heavier. She dozed off, wordlessly cursing her coach for making them practice so late.

\-------------------------------------★★★-------------------------------------

_"What do you wanna be when you grow up?"_

_Adora leaned her head against the wall to think as she gently ran her hands through thick, soft, hair. "I don't know. I never really thought much about it."_

_"You're good at sports! Maybe you could become a famous athlete."_

_"Think so? Well what about you? What do you wanna be?"_

_"I don't care what I become, as long as I'm with you, that's all that matters to me."_

_Adora's gaze softened for a moment before she playfully ruffled the hair she was playing with. "You could be my cheerleader!"_

_Her lap was suddenly cold and she stared into annoyed heterochromatic blue and green eyes. "As if!" Adora laughed as she was shoved. "You wouldn't catch me dead in a prissy outfit like that!"_

_"Alright, fine, but you at least have to go to my games."_

_"I suppose I could do that."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

\-------------------------------------★★★-------------------------------------

"Miss Adora!" The stern voice of her professor made her snap awake. 

"Yes ma'am?" She said over her hand she was using to hide the fact that she had been drooling. 

"Since my class seems easy enough for you to sleep through then perhaps you can finish the equation I have on the board?"

Adora glanced passed her teacher at the jumble of numbers and letters on the whiteboard and frowned. She hated math. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't."

The professor sighed as she stalked back to the board and solved the equation. "I know it's game week Adora but, please, try to stay awake in my class."

"Yes ma'am," Adora mumbled, embarrassed, and ran her hand down her face with a sigh. That wasn't the first time she had that dream, it happened every game week, a memory that her mind can't shake. _Those shots Bow mentioned are starting to sound really good._

It wasn't long after her nap ended that her teacher signaled for the end of class and Adora was the first to leave. As the rest of her classes dragged on she found herself getting impatient and excited to go out with Glimmer and Bow and when she was dismissed out of her final class of the day she practically kicked open the classroom door in her escape.

"Freedom!" She gleefully hollered smiling as she found Bow and Glimmer waiting for her. 

"Ready for a best friend's night out?" Bow was practically wiggling.

"Always!" Adora and Glimmer said in unison. 

They took the city bus downtown where they walked to their destination. The Crimson Waste was a small bar tucked behind an old movie theater. It was dimly lit and music played loud enough to be heard outside but, despite it's run down outer appearance, inside the building was actually relatively clean, for a bar. 

"It's pretty busy for a Tuesday," Bow mused as he picked them a table as close to the dart boards as possible. 

"I guess our deals on shots traveled fast," the trio looked up at their server, who greeted them with smiles. "What can I get for you?"

They started with a round of shots and an order of the bars famous nachos but it wasn't long before Bow jumped up and challenged an innocent stranger to a game of darts.

"Care for a game?" He flashed his target an innocent smile and gestured to the dart boards. "Loser buys the winner a round?"

The man stood and returned Bow's smile with his own. "You're on pal!" 

"Poor guy doesn't even know how bad he's about to lose," Glimmer chuckled. "I can't bear to watch it. Pool?"

"Please!" Adora shot out of her chair, restless, and dragged Glimmer to the the pool tables. She picked a cue and tested it a few times before giving it a cocky twirl. "Ready to lose?"

Glimmer scoffed. "I _don't_ lose."

"Oh, right, you just allow me to win."

They were about halfway through their game, which Glimmer was losing, when the bar doors swung open with a purpose, almost like an announcement, and the bar fell silent save for the music. A small group came into the bar, shouting their orders at the bartender, who looked incredibly displeased, but not shocked, at their arrival. 

"Are they who I think they are?" Glimmer murmured quietly.

Adora's pulse quickened as she recognized the symbol that adorned the group. Some had it on jackets, some on hats, others on the breast of their shirt, and a few even had it tattooed somewhere. A simple design that looked almost like devil wings, it brought with it a million memories and a bad taste in her mouth.

"The Horde," she confirmed. "This is bad news Glimmer. We should grab Bow and head back."

She nodded in agreement and they snuck over to where Bow was. His game was paused as both him and his opponent were wearily watching the group. "You guys see who just came in?" He panicked as they approached him.

"Yes which is why we need to get the heck out of here before they try and start something!" Adora began to usher them towards the door as she spoke, praying she wasn't noticed, or recognized.

They managed to sneak past the Horde members, who were much more interested in their booze than them, but when Adora opened the door to leave she was met with familiar heterochromatic eyes and a cocky smirk. Suddenly, everything around her started to fade as she stopped dead. Bow and Glimmer tried asking her something but it sounded like they were yelling at her from under water, her legs suddenly felt like they were made of lead, and her vision tunneled in on the figure in front of her. The last person in the world she ever thought she would see again, and also, the person she missed the most.

"Hey Adora."


	2. You Left Me

"Catra?" a tentative voice stirred her from the cat nap she was taking in her chair.

"There had better be a good reason for you waking me up Kyle," she hissed, not bothering to open her eyes.

"S-sorry! It's just...Shadow Weaver is looking for you."

Her eyes snapped open as she shot up and cleared the distance between them, grabbing Kyle by his shirt collar. "Tell that snake that I don't answer to her anymore. Whatever it is she wants me to do she can find someone else to do it for her."

"Does a mother need an excuse to see her daughter?" A dark presence appeared behind Catra and she felt her heart stop for a moment. 

She released Kyle, who scurried away quickly, and covered the hint of fear on her face with annoyance as she faced the tall woman. "That would require you to actually be a mother, Shadow Weaver. All you've ever been to me is my warden."

"I raised you, Catra," she placed a hand on her shoulder, firm enough to make a point but not enough to hurt. "Does that mean nothing?"

She growled and smacked her hand away. "No it doesn't! Besides, you didn't raise me you were just my designated babysitter. I raised myself. Me and..."

Her voice trailed off and she scoffed at herself. It's been three years since she said her name. Three years since her best friend ran off without her. Left her in this hell hole. Left her with Shadow Weaver. And even after three years it still hurt, but she would sooner bite through her own tongue before admitting that.

"Ah, yes," Shadow Weaver smiled, causing the scars that covered her face to stretch and add to her already menacing appearance, "your weakness. Adora."

Catra winced at the name. "Weakness implies she has some sort of power over me, which she doesn't. She's been gone three years now. Or did you forget? I know you're old but I didn't think you had gone senile already."

A hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist, long nails biting into her skin, threatening to add new scars. "You will watch your tongue with me child!"

"I don't have to watch anything! You can't order me around anymore, we're the same rank now."

They stared each other down for a moment. It was four months ago that Catra was brought up to be an advisor alongside Shadow Weaver after leading a flawless heist, annoying the older woman. After a moment Shadow Weaver removed her hand and ran her fingers through long black hair.

"Don't think that just because you're Hordak's newest plaything means you can disrespect me, child," Shadow Weaver cupped Catra's face and forced their eyes to meet. "I saved your life when I took you in off those streets and I can end it as easily."

Catra felt a pang in her chest. No matter what she did, Shadow Weaver would always see her as unworthy and expendable. "Why are you here, Shadow Weaver?" She asked firmly.

She released her chin and a knowing glint shined in her eyes. "Ah yes! There's a new mission. I thought maybe you'd want to spearhead it."

"What's the mission?"

"Apparently a bar that's under our protection is refusing to pay us for the month. So we need a group to go in and make a point. Intimidate the bartenders, trash the place, start a fight or two. You like destroying things so I figured you would be useful."

Normally Catra would snap at her for the remark but honestly, field work sounded good. She missed going on jobs. There was just one thing that bugged her. "Why do you want me to go? You hate sending me on jobs like this, you always say I go overboard."

"I have to learn to trust you at some point don't I?"

"Yes, but you won't. There's something you're not telling me. And I won't go until you say what it is."

Shadow Weaver rolled her eyes. "One of our scouts in the area overheard something of interest to me. There will be someone at the Crimson Waste tonight. Someone I want you to bring back to me."

"Bring back?"

"Yes. Someone who left three years ago and was leagues better than you in every field," Catra felt her heart drop. "Adora."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe she's still after Adora!" Catra screamed as her fist connected to her wall, creating another hole to add to the collection. "It's been three years! How obsessed do you have to be to hold onto someone for that long."

_But do you really have room to talk?_

Catra grumbled at her inner voice and collapsed onto her bed with a sigh. "A job is a job. If I want to keep my standing with Hordak I need this to go off without a hitch. They already sent out our biggest bruisers to intimidate the owners and Shadow Weaver wants me to convince them to pay up before I go after Adora. She really must be dumb if she thinks Adora will stick around once we show up. She'll run, just like she did three years ago."

"Catra?" Lonnie knocked on her door and waited for the sign she could come in. "The bruisers are almost there, so you should probably think about leaving soon."

"I'll leave when I'm ready!" Catra spat at her, causing Lonnie to flinch, and something tugged in her chest. She wasn't actually mad at Lonnie, she was just the closest thing to her to lash out at. She sighed a feigned annoyance. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll be out."

With a kurt nod, Lonnie left and Catra shrugged on a tight leather jacket that had the Horde logo embroidered in gold on the back. Before grabbing her keys, she opened the top drawer of her dresser and dug around the bottom of it until she found an old picture, it's edges faded and worn out. She was young in it, maybe fourteen, and not nearly as jaded or covered in scars as she was now, she even had a real smile on. She had her arms draped over a girls shoulder, tossing up "bunny ears" behind her head and the girl was laughing as she messed up Catra's mane of hair she had back then. They were happy and young and goofy and...

"Stupid," Catra grumbled. She covered the picture up, once again burying the memories, and grabbed her keys.

Inside the underground garage she found Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle grouped right outside the entrance. It seemed like Lonnie was telling them a funny story but all laughter stopped as Catra approached them.

"Oh, no, please continue your banter," she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'd love to hear what's so funny that it's keeping you three from your jobs."

"Relax, Catra, we're just taking a short break. Besides we're just on guard duty for the garage, it's not like outsiders come in all the time."

"Yeah because normally people are doing their jobs at keeping them away from this place. Why is Kyle here anyway? We all know he can't stand up for himself to save his life. Last time we had him on guard duty he almost let in a couple of drunk college kids from Krytis!"

"Rogelio got them to turn around," Lonnie argued. As usual the large, green haired, man remained quiet. Some people just assume he's mute but really he was just a shy person. 

"Rogelio won't always be there for him when he screws things up," she jabbed Kyle in the chest with her finger, making him stumble. "Take it from someone with experience, Kyle, friends don't stick around. At some point they'll leave you," she turned on her heel and strode toward her bike. "No matter how much you beg them to stay."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"Please don't make me do this!" Catra screamed. "Just come back."_

_Adora grunted as she tried to get out of the hold Catra had her in. "Go back to what? The stealing? Exploiting people? Or are you talking about the abuse Shadow Weaver dishes out to us daily?"_

_"To hell with Shadow Weaver!" Tears stung at Catra's eyes. "Come back to me. We always said that it didn't matter what she did to us, as long as we had each other we could take anything."_

_Adora flipped Catra over her shoulder but caught her before her head connected to the ground. "I can't go back there," her voice softened as she helped Catra to her feet. "I didn't know any better as a kid but the things we did..they're not right Catra."_

_"We did what we had to in order to survive that hell hole. One slip up on a job and..." Catra trailed off, rubbing the fresh scars and bruises on her arms. She didn't need to finish that sentence, she knew Adora understood what she was trying to say. "We survived together."_

_"And we still can!" Adora took her hand and held it to her, making Catra's chest ache. "You can still come with me."_

_"And then what? I go back to living on the streets? Beg people just to get by?"_

_"We're old enough to get jobs Catra. We don't have to beg."_

_"And who's gonna hire me, huh?" Catra jerked her hand away. "In case you forgot I have a record. No company is going to want a thief working for them!"_

_"There are people who can help. The Horde made us think that no one can help because they made us believe no one cared. But that's not true. There are good people out here, people who really do want to help people get on the right path."_

_"It's called pity," Catra spat, "and I don't want any of it."_

_"It's not pity. Look, I've made some new friends out here and they've already helped me a lot. They could help you too."_

_Catra felt her chest tighten again, only this time it was different. It wasn't longing, it was pain. The only good person she ever had in her life was Adora and now she was slipping through her fingers. "New friends? Replaced me that quickly did you?"_

_"What? Catra that's not-"_

_"Save it! I've always been replaceable right? Guess you had no choice but to put up with me in the Horde but now that you're free you can just drop me like a bad habit. Well the joke's on you cause I never needed you to begin with."_

_Adora's jaw clenched. "I've been gone from the Horde for three months now. If I don't matter to you then how come you keep finding me?"_

_"Because you left me!" Catra's voice broke. "You left me in that place! You left me with Shadow Weaver! Who do you think got punished for letting you leave?" Adora reached for her but Catra took a few steps back, composing herself. "I said I didn't need you, Adora, I never said you didn't matter to me. From where I'm standing, I never mattered to you," she turned on her heel. "Go back to these new friends of yours. I'm done fighting for you."_

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catra pulled into the Crimson Waste parking lot in a daze. "Why'd I have to go and remember that now?" She chastised herself, rubbing her temples.

She could hear the sounds of the loud bruisers from outside which told her that they've already started causing trouble. Good, it would make her job easier. As she approached the door she saw a flash of familiar blond hair dart by the window and three years of pain almost knocked her flat. She stood there and watched Adora as she frantically talked to a short girl with pink hair and taller boy holding a few darts in his hands. 

_She's gotten taller._ Catra mused to herself. _And more toned. Still keeps her hair in that ridiculous ponytail though._

The trio began rushing to the door and Catra placed herself at the entrance. She wanted to see her face when she saw her again. Would she be angry? Sad? Would she even recognize her? The door swung open and Adora's face went through a series of emotions. Fear, confusion, realization, a hint of joy, then finally shock.

Catra's eyes never left Adora's pale blue ones as she smirked. "Hey Adora."


	3. Miss Me?

Adora's world started to come back into focus as she took in Catra's appearance. _She has new scars._ Adora frowned at the varying scars up and down Catra's arm plus one that traced up her jaw. _And she's way to thin. When was the last time she ate?_

"Miss me?" Catra's smirk grew.

"Catra," her name left Adora's lips in a whisper, like if she spoke to loudly her old friend would disappear. 

"Earth to Adora?" Glimmer waved her hand in front of Adora's face. "Wanna tell me why it looks like you know this scum?"

"Watch it Sparkles," Catra bristled and spoke through clenched teeth.

"Or what? Gonna give me rabies?"

"Glimmer," Bow warned and tugged the back of her shirt, "we don't want to start a fight with these guys."

"No one is fighting anyone," Adora finally snapped out of her trance and placed herself between Catra and her friends. "Why are you here?"

"Gee it's nice to see you too. I'm just making sure this place pays up for our protection is all," Catra shrugged and brushed passed Adora, who immediately grabbed her by the wrist.

"Shadow Weaver hates sending you on these jobs, you always go overboard. So why are you really here?"

"Excuse me?" Glimmer jabbed her elbow into Adora's side. "You still never told us how you know this criminal."

"Yeah, Adora, how do you know me?"

She kept her eyes locked on Catra. "It's a long story, and I'll tell you about it later. Right now you two need to get out of here. Catra and I have some catching up to do."

Catra's face fell for a brief moment in, what looked like, shock but she shrugged it off before ripping her hand out of Adora's grasp. "We have nothing to catch up on. Go run off with your buddies, it's what you're good at anyway."

"I'm not leaving," Adora asserted and stalked back to the bar, sitting across from the other Horde members.

"Adora we are not going to just leave you here with them," Bow kept his voice low, worried about attracting attention. 

"Yes you are," she glared at her friends. "I don't know if I can keep you two safe here but I can handle myself. I'll meet you at the clubhouse later, I promise."

Their eyes darted between her and Catra but ultimately they dropped their shoulders in defeat. 

"If you're not back in two hours I will call the cops to come find you," Glimmer said as Bow led her to the door where she then stopped to shout over the noisy bar. "And if you end up dead I'll bring you back so I can kill you myself!"

Adora flashed her a smile. "Love you too Glimmer!"

"Yeesh," Catra rolled her eyes and pretended to gag as she sat next to her. "When did you get so sappy? For a second I thought I saw a glimpse of the old you but that last interaction makes me think I was seeing things. I mean, a clubhouse? Are you five?"

Adora turned to glare to the slim woman next to her. "I've always been like this. I just don't live a life that requires me to be such a hardass all the time so I can actually be nicer. You should try it sometime."

"And let people think they can walk all over me? I don't think so."

"So are you gonna fight me?"

Catra's snapped to attention at the question. "What? Why would I do that?"

"Oh come on Catra. I'm not that dumb. I know Shadow Weaver has had spies on me and now suddenly you show up at the bar I just happen to be at? She wants you to try and bring me back again."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Catra sighed and flagged the bartender for a drink, shocking Adora when she actually paid for it. "You'd think she would have given up by now but she just won't let it go. You were under the radar for three years and now she suddenly gets wind of where you are and wants me to drag you back."

"Catra, Shadow Weaver's known where I was the whole time. She's been spying on me since I left."

Catra froze. "No. No she would have brought it up by now. She always gets cocky when she finds you. She loves bringing up how much better at everything you are than me. She torments me with it. Why would she keep it to herself now?"

"She probably has some scheme in place," Adora shrugged and ordered her own drink. "But I know her spies when I see them, they aren't exactly inconspicuous."

Catra shuddered. "They all look like back alley creepers."

Adora let a laugh slip for a moment before covering it with a cough. "So if you aren't here to fight me then what are you here for?"

"Shadow Weaver does want me to bring you back. I told her you wouldn't come easy-"

"You're damn right I won't!"

"I thought you'd run the second you saw me and I'd have an excuse to tell Shadow Weaver why I couldn't catch you."

"So you aren't going to try and force me back?"

Catra scoffed over her drink. "Don't get the wrong idea. I've worked hard to climb the Horde hierarchy, I'm right up there with Shadow Weaver, and I know that if you came back I'd be knocked right back down to grunt work. I'm doing this to save my own hide, it's not because I like you."

Before Adora could respond there was a loud crash from across the bar as one of the Horde members shattered their glass, making some snide comment about how cheap the establishment is. 

"Looks like it's go time," Catra sighed and stood from her chair. "I suggest you leave if you don't want to be a part of this."

"You don't have to you know. It really is easy to just walk out of here with me."

Catra looked back at her with sad eyes. "Nothing is ever that easy."

"This girl bothering you?" They looked up at a large Horde thug. "You mess with her and you're messing with all of us."

"I'm not messing with anyone," Adora sighed and stood, making her way to the door. "I was just leaving anyway."

Her and Catra locked eyes again and something passed between them, something neither of them could really explain, but it left a pain in their chests. Adora left the bar as Catra scolded the thug for interrupting her conversation and caught a bus to the clubhouse where she was immediately assaulted by Bow and Glimmer upon entering. 

"You're alive!" Bow cried and threw his arms around her shoulders. "We were so worried! What if you got into a fight with one of them? What if they pulled a knife on you?"

"Calm down. I was just talking to Catra."

"Catra?" Glimmer looked just as annoyed as she was worried. "Oh you mean the criminal you know but refused to tell us how?"

Adora groaned and flung herself into the couch. "I said I'd tell you when I got back didn't I?"

"Then start talking."

Adora leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "I know Catra because we were raised together...in the Horde."

Glimmer and Bow stared at her, slack-jawed. "You were associated with those criminals?" Glimmer sounded more accusatory then Adora knew she meant to.

"Worse. I was a criminal. I was found as a child, abandoned, and they took me in. When I was about five this scrappy looking kid came in off the streets and immediately picked a fight with me."

"Lemme guess," Bow smirked, "you wiped the floor with her?"

"Not at all," she laughed at the memory. "It ended in a draw when we both got hungry. We ate together and were inseparable after that. We looked out for each other, which was a hassle because Catra was always a handful, and when we got old enough we were given jobs."

"You did work for them," Glimmer frowned and finally took a seat next to her.

"We were the smallest members and Catra is unnaturally acrobatic which put us usually on theft jobs. But they never told us they were theft jobs. We were, 'Taking what was rightfully ours from people who did nothing to deserve it,' or at least that what Hordak and Shadow Weaver told us."

"What made you leave?"

"A large number of things but really I just couldn't do it anymore. I grew up thinking what we did was okay, that we were the good guys. The stealing, the fighting, the exploitation, it was all just a normal part of my life but then somethings happened and I realized that we weren't the good guys."

"Are you alright with saying what happened?" Bow tentatively asked.

"Catra got arrested."

Glimmer frowned. "I don't mean to sound rude but it was bound to happen eventually. You guys were breaking the law."

Adora shook her head and twisted her hands together. "She wasn't even supposed to be there. It was a solo job, easy in and out, but the guy ended up having more security than I thought. I set off an alarm and when I did Catra came barreling into the place and drug me out the back way. I was so scared I wasn't paying attention to what was happening. A cop was gaining on us and he would have caught both of us of Catra didn't tackle him down. She was tased, knocked out, and tossed in a cell."

"How long was she in for."

"Longer than normal," Adora grumbled. "The Horde has friends in high places so normally their members don't serve more than a few days for petty theft. But Shadow Weaver wanted to punish Catra for her interference and left her in there for a month. I begged her to help Catra out, even offered to turn myself in but she shot that idea right down. Said I had too much potential to be rotting in a cell and that Catra would have ended up there eventually anyway. I visited her when I could and when she got out she was immediately taken to Shadow Weaver where she was punished for disobeying her orders to stay at the base."

"Punished how?" Bow's voice was sad, like he knew the answer.

Adora didn't answer at first so Glimmer asked another question. "Adora, why was Catra covered in scars?"

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. "Because I'm a coward. Everytime a job was messed up or whenever Catra would talk back, Shadow Weaver would give Catra a 'reminder' not to do it again and I couldn't stop her from doing it."

"You were just a kid Adora," Glimmer put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And you were scared."

"Did she ever hurt you like that?"

"No. She always seemed to like me more but I don't know why. She was softer with me, more motherly, but just because she didn't physically hurt doesn't mean she didn't hurt me at all. She was constantly pitting me and Catra against each other. And she would use Catra to get me to do jobs I didn't want to do."

"Use her how?"

"She once got me to mug a kid on his way home from school by saying Catra would get hurt if I didn't. She knew we were each other's weakness and she played on that."

"Did she try that when you left?"

"She sent Catra after me several times. The night I left I tried to take Catra with me but she was scared, she knew Shadow Weaver would hurt her the most if we got caught. But I couldn't stay. I just didn't think I'd be leaving alone. Every time Shadow Weaver sent Catra after me, she had new scars, and every time I felt the urge to come back just so she would stop getting hurt. Eventually I met you two and you helped me get on my feet and get into this college, on a scholarship no less. Eventually, Catra no longer came for me but I never forgot about her. Tonight was the first time I've seen her in three years."

Bow and Glimmer let out a long puff of air as they processed Adora's story. "That's a lot," Bow sighed and ran his hands down his face. "We figured you had it rough when we met you but we had no idea how rough. So Catra hates you for leaving her behind?"

"Probably. I'd hate me too if I was in her shoes but she obviously doesn't hate me enough to force me to go back."

"So what are you gonna do about her?" Glimmer asked?

"Catra isn't a bad person on the inside. She puts up a good front and I can't really blame her for it but if she thinks I'm leaving her this time she's wrong. I'm getting her out of the Horde and away from Shadow Weaver."


	4. Useless

**TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER WILL HAVE DEPICTIONS OF ABUSE. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!**

"This is unbelievable!"

Catra continued to remain statuesque after Shadow Weaver's hand connected to her face with a loud slap. It stung, it always did, but she wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing her flinch. 

"How did you let her get away?"

"I told you already. She slipped out when our guards caused a commotion. I can't shake down an establishment and kidnap Adora at the same time. I'm good, but I'm not _that_ good."

Shadow Weaver stopped pacing to grab Catra by the chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. "You are _useless_. You were useless when I found you abandoned on the streets and you've been useless ever since. The only reason I kept you around so long was because Adora was fond of you. How you managed to weasel your way to high rank is beyond me."

Catra jerked her chin from Shadow Weaver's hands. It wasn't the first time she had put her down like that and after years of enduring it Catra always hoped it would stop hurting, that she would stop caring, but a part of her always did. Not that she let Shadow Weaver know that, of course. 

"If I'm so useless than why don't you go get her yourself if she means that much to you!" She snapped and tried to turn to turn to leave.

"We are not done here Catra!" Shadow Weaver grabbed her by her wrist and yanked her back, sending her flying into the window, effectively shattering it before she fell to the floor in pain.

Catra stood, wincing when she tried to move her arm to little avail. She looked up and smirked as a dark figure stalked up behind Shadow Weaver. "Oh I think we are."

"Shadow Weaver!" The voice behind her had a growl in it's tone and Shadow Weaver went stiff as she turned around to stand face to face with the leader of the Horde.

"Hordak!" Shadow Weaver's voice was light and high pitched. It was the voice she often used when she was about to tell a lie to their leader. "What can I do for you?"

"Care to tell me what is going on here?"

"I was just talking to Catra about her job at the Crimson Waste. She was successful in getting them to pay for our protection."

His eyes flicked to the arm Catra was holding. "Then why is she bleeding?"

"Oh that? She was just leaving and managed to trip on her own clumsy feet. Isn't that right, Catra?"

The way she stared at her told her that if she ratted her out things would be much worse for her. With a sigh Catra averted her gaze. "Yeah. I'm just a clutz."

Hordak didn't look convinced but he also looked like he didn't care much. "I need to talk to you Shadow Weaver. Alone, preferably."

"I'll take my leave then," Catra excused herself.

"Don't trip again dear," the fake, motherly, tone she used made Catra gag.

The door closed behind her and she quickly made her way to her room where her fist immediately connected to the wall, making her knuckles bleed though she ignored the pain. It was always like this. No matter what she did, how many jobs she pulled off, she was never good enough for Shadow Weaver. She always found something to critique her about, always found something to punish her for.

"Same shit, different day," she sighed as she wrapped her bleeding hand in old rag that held numerous blood stains on it. It wasn't the first time she's used it to clean herself up.

She made her way to bathroom, shedding her shirt in the process, and checked her injury in the mirror there. She had glass sticking out of her right shoulder blade and a few shards had left some cuts on her deltoid, adding to the myriad of scars that decorated her body. She tried to reach for the glass but couldn't pull it out and knew it would need stitches.

"I am _not_ going to the infirmary for this," she growled to herself. The doctors in there were quacks who had all had their licenses revoked. She glanced over the other scars she had, some from fights, others from Shadow Weaver but the ones that had healed the best had always been taken care of by Adora. "I'm going to regret this later," she grumbled and through on some clothes and made her way back to the garage.

"Catra what happened to you?" Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio were still guarding the garage entrance and they gasped as she approached them on her bike.

"None of you business," she growled at them.

"Where are you going?"

"Also none of you business and if anyone asks you never saw me here. Now let me through," they looked among themselves for a moment but decided not to push her today and opened the gate. She rolled forward a bit before stopping with a sigh. "One last thing, find someone to go up to Shadow Weaver's room and fix her window. It broke."

Shadow Weaver had a myriad of spy's around Etheria so it didn't take long for Catra to find one. She skid her bike to a halt as she watched one disappear into an alleyway. Why are these guys always so damn creepy. Like shadow puppets, it's weird! She followed him silently for a moment, finding him meeting with another shady man at the end of the alley. They discussed something in hushed tones and their was an exchange of cash for something in a small bag. _Great so he's doped up._ She rolled her eyes at first, she hated dealing with people like that, but then she smiled, remembering something. The spy and his dealer went separate ways and she stepped out of her hiding spot with a knowing chuckle.

"Out for a little pick me up there buddy?" 

He jumped back from her, his hand flying to the pocket his drugs where in. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatcha taking?" She walked circles around him as she spoke. "Crystal? Glitter? Tech?" She stopped in front of him and dangled the bag in front of his face, having pickpocketed it as she circled him. She carefully opened the bag and waved it under her nose, sneezing a few seconds later when a smoke like vapor wafted up. She quickly closed it with a slightly surprised smirk. "Smoke?"

"It's just to keep me focused at work," he stammered and tried to reach for it but she yanked it out of his reach. "C'mon!"

She grabbed him by the face. "Tell me something," she glanced at the name tag that peeked from under his jacket, "Byron is it? Does Shadow Weaver know you're blowing Smoke?" 

His already pale complexion got even more so as his eyes widened. "You know her?"

She laughed, it was an almost bitter sound. "Know her? She raised me. So I know that she wants her spies clean. I wonder what she'd do to you if she knew you weren't?"

"What do you want?"

"Simple," she let go of his face, shoving him a few feet from her, "I want Adora's location."

"We aren't supposed to tell anyone that information."

"It's either you tell me where Adora is or I tell Shadow Weaver that you're doped."

His eyes darted around, looking for a way out where she wouldn't be able to catch up to him. His only option was behind him but as he glanced at her lithe figure he, correctly, figured she could catch up to him before he got to far and slumped forward with a defeated sigh. "Last we saw her she was at a house near campus. It's owned by the Headmistress at Brightmoon but she never uses it. Her daughter and her friends use it as a sort of hangout, including Adora," he pulled out a piece of paper and pen and wrote the address down.

"There now that wasn't so hard was it?"

He sighed and held a hand out. "Can I have my Smoke back please?"

She went to hand him the bag back but in a quick motion she opened it and flipped it upside down, dumping the ash like drug on the concrete and kicking the dust, effectively rendering it useless to him. "Maybe try coffee next time to want to stay awake, Byron, that shit rots your brain."

She left him in the alley, frantically trying to gather anything of the drugs she had scattered, and she winced when she mounted her bike again. _I think I made this wound worse. She's gonna kill me when she sees it._ The thought actually made her smile a little, memories playing in her head. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"Will you hold still?!" Adora yelled and struggled as Catra tried to wiggle out of her grasp._

_"It hurts!" She yowled._

_Adora pulled her back down and wrapped her legs around her, trapping her there face to face with her. "Well maybe if you didn't pick a fight with Octavia then I wouldn't be sitting here having to set your broken nose! Now take a deep breath and close your eyes. On the count of three okay? One, two..."_

_Catra cried out as there was a crunch from her nose being put back into place. Her eye watered and she shoved Adora off of her. "What happened to three?"_

_"You would have pulled away on three if I actually did it then," Adora playfully shoved her back before getting off the bed and grabbed a warm washcloth, a few bandages, and antibacterial ointment. "So what happened this time?"_

_"She kept picking on me," Catra grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest as Adora set herself to cleaning up the various cuts and scrapes on her face._

_"I thought I told you not to worry about what other people say about you. They're just jealous of your abilities."_

_"I didn't care what she said about me," she looked away from Adora who promptly turned face back to her so she could put ointment on the cut above her eyebrow. "It was when she called you an ass kissing dumb jock that is only special because Shadow Weaver said you were that I hit her."_

_Adora paused in her work and smiled at her, a light blush creeping up her ears. "You were standing up for me?"_

_"Well yeah," she shrugged trying to hide her own embarrassment. "You sure as hell weren't going to stand up for yourself so someone had to do it for you."_

_"Right," Adora rolled her eyes and held up a small mirror. "Whatcha think? Better than the original yeah?"_

_"Nothings better than the original," she scoffed as she checked her reflection, still she couldn't deny that Adora had cleaned her up nicely. Aside from a couple bandages on her eyebrow and cheek and the bruise forming on her nose she looked untouched. "You patch me up so often I should start paying you."_

_Adora tapped her cheek with wink. "I'll take payment."_

_Knowing that Adora didn't think she would actually do it, Catra left a swift kiss to her cheek, leaving Adora wide eyed in shock. Catra stuck her tongue out at her. "There paid in full."_

_Adora let out a loud laugh and pulled Catra to her and ruffled her hair. "You sneaky little shit!"_

_Her laugh joined as she fought to get away until eventually she relaxed, using Adora's lap as a pillow. "I'm serious though. I don't want anyone but you to patch me up from now on. Promise?"_

_Adora interlocked their pinkies together. "Promise."_

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catra stopped her bike in front of the house that the spy mentioned. She could see some dim lights on but it was late and possible that Adora and her new friends were asleep. "Why the heck am I here," she groaned as she still continued to make her way to the front door. "Some promise we made as kids?"

She knocked on the door a few times and silently prayed that it was Adora who answered. Sure enough, after a few more knocks, Adora swung the door open. She was in pajamas and disheveled as she wiped the sleep from her eyes then stared at her, blinked a few times, and wiped her eyes again only this time in shock. "Catra? What the hell are you doing here?"

She turned a little to show off the wound in her shoulder, the glass embedded there having caused even more damages as she had been moving around. "I'm have some trouble with this? Mind helping me out?"


End file.
